#aru shah 4 spoilers

[emachinescat]

A Year in (Book) Review: My 2024 Reading Journey 📚

#50 - Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi

Fantasy / Pandava Quintet #1 / 336 pages / published in 2018 / Finished Jun. 24

One Sentence Review: Aru Shah is one of the most relatable characters I've ever read, and the heroes in this book (and the rest of the series) defy the trope where kids with the weight on their shoulders act like mini adults, because they're still just kids (Aru does the whole mission in her Spiderman PJs, for goodness' sake!) - and beyond the loveable characters, the world of Hindu myth is so rich and colorful and different than anything I've read about before, the humor spot-on, and the story fast-paced and exciting.

Favorite Quotes

"The trees of Atlanta, Georgia, hadn't yet realized it was October. Only their top halves had taken on a scarlet-and-golden hue, as if someone had dunked them halfway in a bucket of fire and then plopped them back on the lawn."

*

"She didn't have a study room or a sunroom, just a room, and even she knew that her room was really more like a closet with delusions of gradeur."

*

"Four p.m. is like a basement. Wholly innocent in theory. But if you really think about a basement, it is cement poured over restless earth. It has smelly, unfinished spaces, and wooden beams that cast too-sharp shadows. It is something that says almost, but not quite. Four p.m. feels that way, too. Almost, but not quite afternoon anymore. Almost, but not quite evening yet. And it is the way of magic and nightmares to choose those almost-but-not-quite moments and wait."

*

"With increasing darkness comes answering light."

*

"On the contrary, an industrial-sized box of Oreos was just what she needed."

My rating: 5/5

A Few More Thoughts (Spoilers):

This book is so much fun. Not only is it full of action, adventure, mythology and humor, but it boasts some of the most fun, real, and relatable young heroes I've ever read.

I find it so hilarious that Aru completes the entire quest in her Spiderman PJs. Not only is it a great joke, but it also does something that many chosen one's stories do not do: it emphasizes that this hero is still a kid. She and the other Pandavas are kids first, heroes second.

This book and series show through aru's father being the sleeper that people are complex and the world and even right wrong are not always black and white. Also that the choices we make, rather than fate or destiny contribute to who we become and often in trying to break free of the constraints, others put on us, we become exactly what we most fear. Big oof.

[introvertedtater-tot]

A brief summary of chapter 3 of Aru Shah and the City of Gold (spoilers under the cut) :

That Sal and Gabi reference OH MY GOD

Kara and Aru creating chaos is just *chef's kiss*

So the Sleeper apparently has plenty of secret passages, which would allow him easy access to a lot of places look at me stating the obvious

And he's also been spying on her using surveillance videos (mixed feelings about this; hope the Sleeper realizes on what he's missing out on)

That message in the book though 🥺🥺

We see Kara's trident, Sunny, which seems pretty powerful. Aru specifically says that it "looks like it's wielded by a god" and we have the whole theory on Karna, so yeah

There's a portal, possibly made by Kara??

Wonder what the deal is with the blue hardcover book is? Maybe it's something like Brynne's photo album?? It'll definitely come up later in the book

WE GET A REUNION FOLKS (though I wonder where Nikita and Sheela are??)

And that Aruden moment- they're so dense istg- /lh

[drublaccthorn]

Vid from: Infinity Train book 4 Clip

[aspiringwarriorlibrarian]

And in book rec land....

Aru Shah and the Song of Death. Second in the Aru Shah series, where the Pandava brothers are reincarnated as girls. If you’ve read the first one, don’t worry, the second one’s even better! If you haven’t, then read it and get to this one!

1. If you like Rick Riordan’s books, you’ll love this. It has the same ‘myth in the modern world’ flavor (as seen by a teenage girl) and Roshani Chokshi’s creative worldbuilding, poetic wording, and wicked humor portrays it beautifully.

2. Characters! It has everything you could want in a found family (okay typically they’re soul sisters already but trust me they earn that found family) Contains all five major character traits: self-doubting, germophobic, imaginative, Gordon Ramsey, and photojournalist.

3. Feminism! Subtle, but definitely there. The girls all break out of typical feminine stereotypes in their own ways, have to deal with subtle sexism, bond with other women, and occasionally make jokes at the expense of the men around them. There’s also a major thing at the end, but no spoilers.

4. Graying morality! While the initial book wasn’t straightforward good vs evil by any means, this is the Pandavas realizing that their first incarnation wasn’t as good as they believed and that their villains weren’t as evil. The villains are significantly more three-dimensional and sympathetic and the character growth the girls go through as they deal with this is magnificent.

5. One of the main characters is revealed to be bi and no one treats *** differently for it. It’s just a thing. There’s also offhand references to gay couples and non-binary people, nothing major, but in the sense that this is just part of the world.

6. Fun. Dear Lord this book is fun. These kids are complete disasters and yet incredibly innovative, it’s such a quick read because the only thing better than seeing how they fall into another mess is seeing how they get out of it. It’s nearly 400 pages and I devoured the whole thing in half a day, that’s how fast it goes.

So yeah, that’s my rec, for what it’s worth. Go read it, you won’t be sorry.

P.S. Read the glossary at the end. I mean it.

[cover2covermom]

Today I’m back with another batch of mini book reviews for books I’ve recently read…

*Books included in this batch of mini book reviews: The Read-Aloud Family:  Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections With Your Kids by Sarah Mackenzie, Akata Warrior (Akata Witch #2) by Nnedi Okorafor,  Aru Shah and the End of Time by Rochani Chokshi, and Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser

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» The Read-Aloud Family:  Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections With Your Kids by Sarah Mackenzie

*4.5 Stars*

As a avid reader & mother, The Read-Aloud Family was an absolute delight to read.   I loved learning about the benefits of reading together as a family.  Mackenzie includes studies, other books on this topic, personal narratives, and even experiences of her podcast listeners.  Don’t know what to read-aloud with your kids?  No fear!  Mackenzie includes an extensive recommendation list of books broken down by age range.  I also appreciated Mackenzie listing discussion questions to allow for critical thinking & opening up dialogue.

One thing I did not realize going into this book is that it is classified as Christian Fiction.  Mackenzie is a devout Christian, so she does talk about her faith throughout this book.  It did feel a little “preachy” early on, but it didn’t last long.  After a small section towards the beginning, she only mentions Bible recommendations throughout the remainder of the book.  If you are against books with religious tones and are wondering if Mackenzie’s discussion of her faith is going to put you off – I’d say if you can make it through a small section, I think you’ll be fine.  If you are expecting a book with lots of religious tones, I really wouldn’t peg this as hitting that mark either.

I admired Mackenzie’s realness throughout this book.  Mackenzie doesn’t try to sugarcoat her life, she fully admits that family life is crazy & finding the time to read-aloud to her kids is not always easy.  Throughout the book she shares what has and hasn’t worked for her family and encourages you to find what works best for you & your family.

After reading this book I was very inspired to implement family reading in my own life.  Let me just say that it is much harder than I anticipated.  Between school, homework, sports, and activities, it is really hard to implement reading together as a family.  I feel like it will be more freezable for my family in the summer months when our schedules are not so hectic.   Regardless, I am going to keep trying.  Any reading is better than no reading at all.

I highly recommend listening to this book via audiobook as it is narrated by the author herself.  Her passion really shines through her narration.  I will also be purchasing a paper copy of this book to use as a reference for the book recommendations, discussion questions, etc.

I had never head of Sarah Mackenzie or her podcast, The Read-Aloud Revival, going into this book but being familiar with her podcast is NOT a prerequisite to reading The Read-Aloud Family.  I will be picking up Jim Trelease’s book, The Read-Aloud Handbook, next since this book is what inspired Mackenzie in her read-aloud journey.

» Akata Warrior (Akata Witch #2) by Nnedi Okorafor

*4.5 Stars*

***No spoilers for this book or for the first book***

I was very excited to dive back into this world again!  After reading Akata Witch and loving the magic system & characters, I couldn’t wait to follow up with the second book.   This YA series includes wonderful themes that I love to read about: friendship, identity, courage, family, sacrifice, education, etc. 

I really enjoyed watching Sunny’s growth from the first book to the end of this book.  She really came into her own in Akata Warrior, and is starting to realize just how strong she is.

Much like the first book, I highly enjoy the group of friends in this series: Sunny, Orlu, Chichi, and Sasha.  Sure they bicker & have disagreements, but they truly are there for each other.  I really adore Chichi in particular, and appreciate the positive female friendship between her and Sunny.  I think this stems from the fact that Chichi is a head strong female that does not apologize for who she is, which I both relate to and appreciate.  I also really enjoyed that Sunny’s brother, Chukwu, was a much bigger part of this book.  When Chukwu winds up in a bad situation, Sunny risks everything to save him.   A depiction of a strong sibling relationship was such a heartwarming addition to this story.

The thing I appreciate the most about Nnedi Okorafor’s books are that they are unlike anything I’ve read before.  She’s built such a interesting magic system here, and I absolutely adored it.   I said it after reading Akata Witch and I’ll say it again after Akata Warrior, I’d recommend these books to Harry Potter fans.  They do not have a similar plot, but they gave me similar feelings. 

I would like to add a disclaimer that if you are not a fan of spiders, you may struggle at times in this book.  Really Nnedi?  Did you have to pack this book FULL of spiders?!?!  Don’t you know I HATE spiders?  This is like Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets all over again (I know I said these books were not similar to Harry Potter, but they are similar in the fact that both have too many spiders) Yuck!  Despite my strong aversion to spiders, I still loved reading this book, so that has to tell you something.

My only issue with this, much like the conclusion to her Binti series, is that it didn’t really feel like a conclusion.  The way Okorafor ends both of these series almost feels like she is leaving them open for more books in the future…  It is very possible that this is NOT going to be the conclusion, which I hope is the case.

Overall, if you are looking for a unique YA fantasy to pick up, I encourage you to pick this series up. 

» Aru Shah and the End of Time by Rochani Chokshi

#YARC2019

This was my first time experiencing Roshani Chokshi’s writing and I was not disappointed!

What Roshani did so well here in her MG debut was write an age appropriate & realistic main character.  I cannot tell you how much it annoys me reading a book that that has a middle grade aged main character, but they feel much older than they are.

Not only was Aru age appropriate, but she was a wonderfully complex & flawed character.  Aru struggles to fit in with her peers in her new school.  In order to fit in, Aru has a tendency to tell tall tales.   The middle grade years are tough.  I would venture to say that most kids feel like they don’t completely fit in at one time or another.  Aru is a very relatable character for this reason.   I loved Aru’s character development from the beginning of the book, towards the end where she discovers that she does not need to stretch the truth in order to get kids to like her, she simply needs to be herself.

Aru Shah and the End of Time is fast paced and full of action & adventure.  It definitely held my interest from start to end.  I really appreciated the Hindu mythology – Hindu gods, the traditional Hindu beliefs of karma & reincarnation, Mahabharata & the Pandava brothers – included in Aru Shah and the End of Time.  This was a big reason why I picked it up in the first place: I love learning about different mythologies from around the world.  

I was pleasantly surprised at how funny Aru Shah and the End of Time was!  The dialogue was clever and amusing, even for an adult reader.  This book can definitely appeal to a wide audience from children up to adults.  This would be a wonderful book to read in a classroom setting, or at home with your middle grade readers.

» Not That I Could Tell by Jessica Strawser

*3.5 Stars*

Not That I Could Tell was a bit of a nostalgic read for me.  This story is set in the small town of Yellow Springs, Ohio, which is about 20 – 25 minutes away from where I live.  I’ve been there many times, so I can say that Strawser’s portrayal is fairly accurate.  Basically Yellow Springs is a small town and the biggest hipster town in Ohio.

Not That I Could Tell is labeled a domestic thriller, which it is and it isn’t.  I would consider this one to be more of a small-town or neighborhood drama more than a thriller.  There is an underlying mystery of what happened to Kristin, but the majority of the book centers around the neighbors & the aftermath of Kristin’s disappearance.  The thriller elements do not come about until the final chapters when everything comes together.

One thing I really appreciated about this book was how plausible it was.  I could totally see this really happening in real life.  While I appreciate the realistic plot line, I like to be surprised when I read a thriller, and I didn’t really get that “shock factor” here. 

Overall, Not That I Could Tell was a quick and easy read that served to entertain me while I was reading it.  I think Strawser’s writing was well done, and the story was well crafted.  I didn’t get the “shock factor” that makes a thriller memorable for me, but I think this is a solid book nonetheless.

  Have you read any of these books?  If so, what did you think?

Comment below & let me know 🙂

      I share a batch of mini book reviews on the blog today! #BookReview #Review #Books #Reading #BookBlogger #Bookworm #AmReading #Bibliophile Today I'm back with another batch of mini book reviews for books I've recently read... *Books included in this batch of mini book reviews: 

[introvertedtater-tot]

So the chapter names for City of Gold are on the Aru Shah wiki page and:

A potential potato christening for Kara??

[introvertedtater-tot]

Chapter 5

Oop there's the pity and the anger

Oh, that's gotta hurt. Finding out your mentor, a person (or pigeon) you relied and trusted, betrays you for your safety bc they didn't believe in you enough? Talk about conflicted feelings

Aru just can't get a break 😔

Mini and Aiden are babysitters for Aru and Brynne confirmed

Shukra's curse makes a comeback!! That was a good plot device

So is the Sleeper's aim to become immortal? Or at least part of it? Wonder what happened to Krithika? Aru doesn't need anymore pain honestly

"I was joking" a classic failed attempt at covering up, r.i.p Aru

Ah they're so awkward I love them

~A live reading of CoG~ (a new chapter for every reblog)

[introvertedtater-tot]

commentary for (the first 10 chapters of) NoI~

*mild spoilers ahead for aru shah and the nectar of immortality*

kara, you're already tugging at my heartstrings, you poor thing (ch.1)

i can always depend on aru for comic relief (ch.2)

nvm and also aww brynne :((

"bb" why is that adorable (ch.3)

sheela and nikita my beloveds <333

nikita to the rescue with her magical-wardrobe-creating powers

aru, you best believe you're beautiful- (ch.4)

aiden, you silly goose, what are you dOING

and now they know

oof the passive-agressiveness (pop off, protective sisters)

not the gossiping guests, i see you, rosh

oof the passive-agressiveness pt.2

not the lord of the ring references (ch.7)

rudy is making a comebackkk but what's the deal with mini 👀

again with the feels why

rudy, you sweetheart, we missed you <333

also your soft spot for mini is showing

HA RUDY YOU ABSOLOUTE LEGEND (ch.8)

"tortured artist" NO

i wish i had a grain of rudy's confidence /lh

guards? potentially the vishakanyas??

brynne turning down a snack? unheard of, she needs food asap

ooh the drama

hitting us with the self-doubt

ahh the ✨sense of foreboding✨

"Sad Boi Rocks™" (ch.9)

ooh the drama *the sequel*

so it is the vishakanyas, this'll be interesting (ch.10)

after everything we learned in bio, i think mini is raising some very valid points

someone help mini and brynne D: what did they ever do to you

here we gooo

[introvertedtater-tot]

Sorry guys, I had to put a pin on this bc of school stuff :( Anyway, continuing chapter 8

Come to the good side- we have Swedish Fish

Self-washing shirts are essential to life, someone really should make them

oof- sis take a breather

Andrew the potato

Oh that true!! Salt had a lot of value back then, it was used for trade and payment. The Ghana Empire in particular was very wealthy in Western Africa bc of its salt mine. Ah I love Kara's random facts 💞

Real subtle, Aiden

~A live reading of CoG~ (a new chapter for every reblog)

[introvertedtater-tot]

Chapter 9

Love how Aru acutally seems prepared and then she's just,,not skjdjkds

Wait what does the harp signify-

Brynne calm down

Aru no-

How did Kara know? Is her trident more powerful than Mini's compact??

~A live reading of CoG~ (a new chapter for every reblog)

[introvertedtater-tot]

Chapter 6

"Do you really think we'd take help from the daughter of the Sleeper?" Brynne, I love you but that's an insult to Aru

Oh jeez, I feel for Aru. She's torn between defending Kara, but also thinks that she's risking the trust with her sisters. It's a hard thing to admit but I think I would do the same thing.

Oof Kara-

Emily Dickinson poems? She has good taste

Ah there's the jealousy

Kara just summed up what Aru's been struggling with for YEARS

Aru with the popcorn is a mood

Wait, is Kara going to win?

Kara really did beat her, wow

"A drop of sunshine" Sunshine? Karna??

Oh yeah it was an author called Karel I think??

I mean technically humans do actually glow, but you can't see it since it's really dim

Aww Kara and Aru bonding

AAAAAH NIKITA AND SHEELA

"You'll end up where no one can hear you shout" WHAT

~A live reading of CoG~ (a new chapter for every reblog)

[introvertedtater-tot]

Chapter 7

Percy and Aru both drool, lovely

Brynne, TOO MANY POINTED BARBS

"fake boyfriend in Canada" has Rosh seen the fandom on Tumblr??? This is such a coincidence lol

"KARS4KIDS jingle" same Aru

Oof Aru, don't mock her

What an informative pamphlet

Oh, I love them the concept of the ghost windows!! Did the others not see it? Why did only Aru notice?

~A live reading of CoG~ (a new chapter for every reblog)

[introvertedtater-tot]

Starting from chapter 4, since the first 3 chapters were in the excerpt

So Krithika's gone? Where to??

I'm with Mini though, doesn't affect the baby's health? Will it affect their organs? Do they just keep breathing and living but just,, not grow?? How does this work???

Nikita's got her priorities sorted 👌🏽

That traitor of a pigeon 😒 what will their reactions be like?

WE GET A MENTION OF HIRA and also I see you, Brynne

Oooh we get a mongoose, Via you'll probably love this

Oh here we go

~A live reading of CoG~ (a new chapter for every reblog)